Semaphore-pole.



WITNE G. A. HELDERMAN 821T. S. RUSSELL.

SBMAPHORE POLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.13, 1912.

COLUMBIA Patented June 11, 1912.

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PLANOGRAPH c0. WASHINGTON. 1), c4

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CHARLEY ALEXANDRIA HELDERMAN AND JOHN STEPHEN RUSSELL, OF GOLD HILL, NORTH CAROLINA.

SEMAPHORE-POLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 13, 1912.

Patented June 11, 1912. Serial No. 683,592.

To all whom it may concern; I

Be it known that we, CHARLEY A. HELDER- MAN and JOHN S. RUSSELL, citizens of'the United States, residing at Gold Hill, in the county of Rowan and State of North Carolina,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Semaphore-Poles, 'of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the subject of signals, and has in view an improved semaphore pole attachment for use with oilburning lamps, whereby the lamp may be easily raised to the top of the pole and there held in position, and lowered when it is desired to light the same or clean it. Y

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a semaphore pole that has, in connection with a mechanism for raising and lowering a light, a device that will steady the lamp while being placed on top of the pole, and further when the lamp has been put in its place to lock the operating means.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for securely holding the lamp on top of the pole after it has been positioned by the raising and lowering mechanism, so as to prevent it from being blown or jarred off.

WVith these and other objects in view, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more particularly described, illustrated and claimed.

While susceptible of various minor changes the invention is exemplified by the preferable form thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a semaphore pole showing the present device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pole showing the mechanism for raising and lowering the lamp unlocked, and the lamp raised out of the guard member ready for lowering. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the raising and lowering mechanism.

Like references designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawing.

The semaphore pole which may be of any preferred construction, is designated in the accompanying drawing by the reference numeral 1, and has arranged around the top edge thereof a guard member 2, which is preferably made of spring wire or other suitable material which will effectively and yieldingly hold a lamp inclosed thereby, and still permit none of the light given out by the lamp to be in any way obstructed. The said guard extends around all sides of the pole so as to prevent movement in any lateral direct-ion of a lamp that may be placed within it.

A guide member 3, preferably a length of ordinary pipe, having a substantially inverted J shape upper portion, is secured to the pole by hearing eyes 4;, which hold the pipe in such a manner that it may be rotated by means of a handle 5, which is secured at a position within reach of an operator on the ground. The said guide pipe 3 is preferably formed in two sections which are connected by the coupling member 6, which be cause of its greater diameter, as compared with that of the guide pipe forms a bearing support for the pipe, by resting upon one of the bearing eyes 4. Thus, it will be observed that the said guide pipe is rotatably supported, and because of the fact that the inverted J shaped portion is at right-angles to the handle secured to the lower portion of the pipe, when the said handle is rotated in the arc of a circle it will bring the said J shaped portion out of its normal posit-ion over the top of the pole. The said guide member 3 has within it a raising and lowering element, preferably in the form of a cable 7 that is long enough to permit the lamp to be raised to the top of the pole and conveniently lowered when desired. Attached to one end of the said cable is a lamp 8 preferably of the type shown in the accompanying drawing, and having a rounded head portion 9 that is designed to be engaged by a spring clamp 10, that is secured on the downwardly extending portion of the inverted J shaped part of the pipe. WVhen the lamp is at the upper part of the guide pipe the greater part of the cable 7 is at the bottom of the pipe and for convenience sake may be wound around a cleat 11.

In order to prevent unauthorized parties from tampering with the signal lamp the handle 5 is locked to the pole 1 by a hasp 12 and padlock 13.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that when the lamp is desired to be removed from the top of the pole as shown in Fig. 1, the proper party may unlock the lock 13 and release the handle 5 so as to permit of a free rotary movement of the guide member 3. Then the rope 11 maybe pulled sufliciently to release the lamp 8 from its resting place on the top of the pole, and high enough so as to clear the guard member 2, when it may be turned to one side and lowered. by allowing the slackening of the cable 7 through the lower end of the guide pipe. After the lamp has been lighted or cleaned it is drawn upwardly by pulling on the cable 7 until the rounded head 9 of the lamp is firmly pressed into engagement with the spring clamp 10 on the downwardly eX- tending portion of the inverted J shaped part of the pipe. This is done to hold it steady so that it may be accurately placed 7 over and into the guard clamp 2, when the guide member 3 is rotated by the handle 5 to bring the lamp into position for lowering onto the top of the pole. When this position is reached the cable is slackened and the lamp allowed to seat itself in the guard member. The handle 5 may be then looked to the pole as previously described and the rope wound upon the cleat 11 previously mentioned. The device is then ready'for service, and from the foregoing description the many uses and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent.

It will of course be understood, that the invention is to be used upon the ordinary semaphore pole in such a manner, that the guard member will in no way affect or obstruct the working of the usual colored semaphore arms. These arms arenot shown in the drawing for the reason that any well known forms thereof may be used in connection with the kind of lamp shown.

What we desire to claim by Letters Patent 151- 1. The combination with a semaphore pole, of a guide member having a raising and lowering element for the lamp associated therewith, means for locking the guide member to the pole, and means on the pole for engaging the lamp.

2. The combination with a semaphore pole, of a lamp, a guide member, a raising pole, and means on the pole for engaging the I lamp.

3. The combination with a semaphore pole, of a lamp having a head portion, a guide member, a raising and lowering element for the lamp, means on the guide member for engaging the head portion of the lamp, means for locking the guide member to the pole, and means on the pole for yieldingly engaging the lamp.

4. The combination with a semaphore pole, of a lamp, a guide pipe rotatably secured to the pole, means on the pipe for engaging the lamp, means for locking the lamp to-the pole, and raising and lowering means for the lamp associated with the pipe.

5. The combination with a semaphore pole, of a lamp, a guide pipe rotatably secured to the pole, a spring clamp member for holding the lamp steady secured to the guide pipe, a lock for locking the guide pipe to the pole, retaining means on the pole for the lamp, and raising and lowering means for the lamp associated with the pipe.

6. The combination with a semaphore pole of a lamp having a head portion, a guide pipe having an inverted J shaped upper section, a spring clamp member for holding the lamp steady secured thereto, bearing eyes for rotatably supporting the said guide pipe, a handle projecting laterally from thepipe, a lock for locking the handle to the pole, a guard on the pole for yieldingly engaging the lamp, and raising and lowering means for. the lamp associated with the pipe.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLEY ALEXANDRIA HELUERMAN. JOHN STEPHEN RUSSELL.

Witnesses: I

I'LP. SMITH,

R. O. L. MANNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

